Michelle Obama’s Shortbread Cookies

Try this crumbly and buttery shortbread created by former first lady herself, Michelle Obama.

Makes: 6 dozen servings

Takes: 1 hour 5 minutes

1-1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1-1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar

2 egg yolks

2 tablespoons amaretto (almond liqueur)

1 teaspoon each orange and lemon zest

3 cups cake ﬂour (not self-rising)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 beaten egg white

Chopped nuts or dried fruit (optional)1

Heat oven to 325 degree F. Line a 17 x 12 x 1-inch baking pan with nonstick foil. In large bowl, cream together butter and 1-1/2 cups of the sugar. Slowly add egg yolks, and beat well until smooth. Beat in amaretto and zest. Stir in ﬂour and salt until combined.

Spread dough evenly into prepared pan, ﬂattening as smoothly as possible. Brush top of dough with egg white; sprinkle with nuts or fruit (if using) and with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.

Bake at 325 degree F for 25 minutes or until brown, turn on oven and allow cookies to sit in oven (with door ajar) for 15 minutes.

Cut while slightly warm.

Photo: tastemade.com

Source: flavorwire.com

Culinary Cravings

THE BEGINNING OF A CLEVER PLAN

The Kitchen Triangle: Two’s company but three’s a crowd if you don’t plan the sink, fridge and cooktop with less than six feet between them.

Romance and Renos

Our stylish couple is diving, head first, into a potential relationship-killer… a kitchen reno, at her house no less. With a little luck she’ll dance around the stress and be back cooking up a storm on the double with some good advice and Mr. Porter’s saucy new line of stainless appliances. The Porter & Charles collection of European appliances, sleek, sexy and ever so affordable.

The Ingredients

A RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

State-of-the-art: It’s out with the old and in with the new. Old appliances stick out like a sore thumb so don’t try to mix and match.

Sleek and saucy

Not wanting to be dependent on Mr. Porter’s design largess, our femme fatale has engaged kitchen designer to the stars, Madison Ashley. After all, who doesn’t want good guidance and a fresh start.

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He enjoyed long, romantic walks to the fridge so it was no surprise when he asked her to join him for a late night sojourn. After all, if we weren’t meant to have a glass of wine and a midnight snack, why would there be a light in the refrigerator?

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When we met, the heat was rising over a stock pot of bouillabaisse at the Epicurious Culinary School. An aspiring weekend chef, the handsome Mr Porter had titillated me in more ways than one, so it was no surprise that sparks flew. And, apparently, they weren’t coming from his namesake gas cooktop.

During class he’d taken off his jacket, rolled up the sleeves of this cuff-linked shirt and sauntered over as I opened the steam oven door. In a husky voice, he whispered, forget the menu, “I’ll have what she is having”. Soufflé Chocolat for two!

How could I resist his gourmet charm? Later, he’d describe me as the kind of woman who looks good in a high-end kitchen caressing a chilled glass of Veuve and wearing nothing but a pearl necklace.

Wonder how Mr. Porter likes his eggs? Over Easy?!

It was the start of a perfect private label pairing. My cool Liebherr fridge met his sleek Porter and Charles kitchen and laundry appliances and it was an energy efficient match made in heaven. Stainless. European. Compact. Efficient. Affordable and Gorgeous… just like the two of us.

Learning to cook with our Porter and Charles appliances was the beginning of a great culinary adventure.

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Beyond washing & drying: Think noise level, energy use and layout and rack-positioning when choosing a new dishwasher.

Kitchen capers

They’ve got that loving feeling when it comes to dinner for two. After all, the couple that cooks and does the dished together, stays together… there may not be fridge or an induction cooktop involved.

Porter & Charles dishwashers—state-of-the-art performance in the most silent way.

Happy Endings

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Hot and steamy

Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all. But, it takes two to tango so stay tuned to see who will master the steam oven first, or whether Mr. Porter or Ms. Charles comes up with the best new recipes.